Wrightbus has received £50 million from UK Export Finance (UKEF) to take its electric and hydrogen-powered buses outside of the UK.

Its zero-emission buses will make their way to Europe, Asia and North America thanks to the funding, as the firm looks to double its workforce in three years.

The Northern Irish bus company is looking to create 1,000 new green jobs by 2026 and has delivery orders of more than 600 buses for this year.

This funding adds to the £12 million the Ballymena-based company received last month from government and the industry.

Wrightbus CEO Jean-Marc Gales said: “We are excited about our next phase and working within the Ballymena and wider Northern Ireland community to deliver innovative British technology to the global market.”

Minister for Investment Lord Johnson added: “Wrightbus is a fantastic example of a British business seizing the vast exporting opportunities around the world and embracing clean growth.

“This is the type of success we will build on at this autumn’s Northern Ireland Investment Summit, which will be a catalyst for securing more investment, creating more jobs and empowering more businesses to seize exporting opportunities.”